Man, I feel awful, I haven't updated in forever!
Please forgive me, I've had these incredibly hectic weeks lately.
So anyways, here is the first chapter of Return of the King!
Chapter 25: Reunited
Robin leaned back against a ruined stone block beside Merry and Pippin. Food and mugs of ale were strewn about them, and cheery laughter filled the air.
"This ale is amazing!" Robin exclaimed, taking another swig of her tankard.
Merry nodded in agreement. "Aye, it's almost as good as the Green Dragon."
"The Green Dragon?" Robin asked curiously.
"Aye, a truly excellent inn," Pippin replied, taking another sip of his ale. "Best beer in the Shire. I believe they wrote a song about it. Right, Merry?"
Merry nodded his head happily, and without further ado, the two hobbits began to sing.
"Oh you can search far and wide,
You can drink the whole town dry.
But you'll never find a beer so brown,
Oh you'll never find a beer so brown,
As the one we drink in our hometown!
You can drink your fancy ales,
You can drink 'em by the flagon.
But the only brew for the brave and true,
Comes from the Green Dragon!"
Robin giggled. "That's a really nice song, you two," she commented. "Can you teach it to me?"
Within a few minutes, Robin had learned the lyrics, and the three hobbits joyfully sung the spirited tune a few times before collapsing into fits of laughter.
"I feel like I'm back there, at the Green Dragon," Pippin remarked. "A mug of ale in my hand, putting my feet up on a settle after a hard day's work."
"Only," Merry replied, his mouth full of bread, "you've never done a hard day's work!"
Pippin grinned and chuckled merrily. Merry and Robin couldn't help but join in the laughter as the three sat among the ruins of Isengard.
Suddenly, the sound of hooves caught their attention. Several riders emerged from the edge of the trees, many clad in mail and armor. Pippin and Robin raised their mugs and saluted the oncoming riders.
Merry rose to his feet, a wide grin upon his face. "Welcome, my lords and ladies, to Isengard!"
Robin stood up behind Merry, observing the riders. In the lead was Gandalf, clothed in white, on a magnificent alabaster steed. Two men, each with long blond hair and clad in brown armor swirled with patterns of gold, followed the wizard. Legolas and Gimli were behind them, appearing no different than from when the three hobbits had seen them last. Aragorn followed, and Robin was surprised to see the Ranger wearing chain mail. And finally, at the very end of the group, were two very familiar faces on horseback.
"Kayden, Peyton!" Robin cried, leaping off of the crumbled stone and running to her friends. The elleth and human slipped off their horses and into the murky water that surrounded Isengard, embracing their little hobbit friend.
"It's good to see you again," Robin continued as the three friends released each other. The hobbit cocked her head to the side, examining her friends. "You two look…different," she stated simply.
"How different?" Kayden questioned.
Robin paused for a moment, surveying her friends once more. Peyton had a thin, white scar running across her cheek, and Kayden's mithril vambrance was missing, exposing the bandaged forearm. Both wore chain mail over their tunics and had a strange, toughened look in their eyes. "Very different."
"Well, what did you expect?" Peyton replied, "We haven't exactly had the easiest time!"
"We will tell you more about it later," Kayden stated.
Robin chuckled and turned to face the rest of the riders. "Hello!" she greeted. Aragorn, Legolas, and Gandalf nodded in acknowledgement, smiles on their faces. Gimli, however, bore an indignant expression on his face.
"You young rascals!" the dwarf exclaimed. "A merry hunt you've led us on, and now we find you feasting…and smoking!"
"We are sitting on a field of victory enjoying a few well-earned comforts," Pippin replied, his voice slightly muffled from the sandwich in his mouth. "The salted pork is particularly good."
Gimli seemed to drool a bit. "Salted pork?"
Gandalf shook his head, slightly annoyed. "Hobbits."
"We're under orders from Treebeard," Robin informed the riders. "He's taken over management of Isengard."
The white wizard nodded his head. "Very well," he stated. "Come. I have much to say with the Ent."
Kayden and Peyton mounted their horses. Robin scrambled up behind Peyton, and Aragorn hoisted Pippin onto Brego as Merry leapt on behind Ėomer. The small troop sloshed through the water, gazing silently at the wreck that was once Isengard. Massive stone blocks littered the ground, and pieces of wooden scaffolding floated by.
Soon, they approached the only intact structure in sight: the ominous black tower of Orthanc. Before the tower stood a towering, tree-like creature, his yellow eyes surveying the small group.
"Young master Gandalf," the Ent boomed. "I'm glad you've come."
"That's Treebeard," Robin whispered. "I'm warning you, though, he is extremely slow."
"I can tell," Peyton deadpanned as Treebeard continued the converse with Gandalf.
"Wood and water, stock and stone I can master," Treebeard stated. "But there is a Wizard to manage here, locked in his tower."
Kayden stared up at the tower's tall spires. "Show yourself, Saruman," the elleth muttered darkly.
"Be careful," Gandalf warned. "Even in defeat, Saruman is dangerous."
"Well then let's just have his head and be done with it," Gimli suggested.
"I agree with Gimli on this one," Peyton added.
"Same here!" Robin chimed in.
"No," Gandalf retorted. "We need him alive. We need him to talk."
Suddenly, a voice, deep and silky, rang out from atop Orthanc. "You have fought many wars and slain many men, Théoden King, and made peace afterwards," the voice stated. "Can we not take counsel together as we once did, my old friend? Can we not have peace, you and I?"
All attention was drawn to the white clad figure at the top of the tower and the king of Rohan. "We shall have peace," Theoden retorted slowly, his face contorting with rage as his voice grew louder. "We shall have peace when you answer for the burning of the Westfold and the children that lie dead there! We shall have peace when the lives of the soldiers whose bodies were hewn even as they lay dead against the gates of the Hornburg are avenged! When you hang from a gibbet for the sport of your own crows…we shall have peace!"
"Wow," Peyton whispered. "Nice speech."
"I don't think Saruman liked it, though," Kayden replied, gesturing to the top of Orthanc. Indeed, Saruman looked horribly angry, his face twisted in fury.
"Gibbets and crows!" the Wizard shouted. "Dotard!" Saruman then shifted his attention to Gandalf. "And what do you want, Gandalf Greyhame? Let me guess…the key of Orthanc? Or perhaps the keys of Barad-Dûr itself? Along with the crowns of the seven kings and the rods of the five Wizards!"
"Your treachery has already cost many lives," Gandalf replied, his tone of voice fierce and commanding. "Thousands more are now at risk. But you could save them, Saruman. You were deep in the enemy's counsel."
"So you have come here for information," Saruman sneered. "I have some for you." With a great flourish, the Wizard pulled a great stone ball from beneath his robes, the stone glowing with internal fire.
"What is that?" Kayden whispered.
"A palantír," Legolas replied. "One of the seven Seeing Stones."
"Something festers in the heart of Middle-Earth," Saruman announced, the palantír gleaming in his outstretched hand. "Something you have failed to see. But the Great Eye has seen it! Even now he presses his advantage. His attack will come soon." Gandalf rode forward, separating himself from the group as Saruman continued. "You are all going to die! But you know this, don't you, Gandalf? You cannot think that this Ranger will ever sit upon the throne of Gondor. This exile, crept from the shadows, will never be crowned king!" Robin shrunk back behind Peyton, staring warily up at Orthanc.
Saruman then turned his attention to Kayden and Peyton. "And what of these two warriors?" he leered. "Surely you do not think that these two women will aid you? They are young and know nothing of war!" Seeing the appalled looks on the hobbit's faces, Saruman sneered. "Gandalf does not hesitate to sacrifice those who are closest to him…those he professes to love! Tell me, what words of comfort did you give the Halfling before you sent him to his doom? The path that you have set him on can only lead to death."
"I've heard enough," Kayden growled.
"Shoot him!" Gimli exclaimed, nudging Legolas. "Stick an arrow in his gob!"
Both Legolas and Peyton reached for arrows, but Gandalf stopped them. "No!" he commanded. He then turned to face Saruman. "Come down Saruman, and your life will be spared!"
"Save your pity and your mercy!" Saruman spat. "I have no use for it!" With a sudden roar, a bolt of fire sped towards Gandalf, engulfing him. Many of the horses reared and stumbled back, but Gandalf and Shadowfax stood firm, remaining untouched by the flames.
"Saruman!" Gandalf shouted. "Your staff is broken!"
Robin watched in amazement as Saruman's menacingly carved black staff began to glow red, before it splintered into oblivion. Without it, the Wizard did not seem as intimidating.
Suddenly, a dark figure appeared beside the Wizard. He was rather small compared to Saruman, and even from the ground, Peyton could make out his pallid skin and greasy locks.
"Grima," Theoden called. "You need not follow him! You were not always as you are now. You were once a man of Rohan! Come down."
Wormtongue's posture straightened, and it seemed as if he was going to reply with an eager, "Yes." However, Saruman cut him off. "A man of Rohan?" the Wizard sneered. "What is the house of Rohan but a thatched barn where brigands drink in the reek, and their brats roll on the floor with the dogs? The victory at Helm's Deep does not belong to you, Théoden Horse Master. You are a lesser son of greater sires!"
Theoden paused for a moment, before speaking again to Wormtongue. "Grima, come down," he stated. "Be free of him."
"Free?" Saruman cackled. "He will never be free!"
"No!" Grima retorted.
"Get down cur!" Saruman commanded, whirling around and slapping Wormtongue. Grima fell back, disappearing from the sight of the riders.
"Saruman!" Gandalf called. "You were deep in the enemy's counsel. Tell us what you know!"
"You withdraw your guard, and I will tell you where your doom will be decided," Saruman consented. "I will not be held prisoner here-"
The rest of the Wizard's statement was lost in a gasp of pain as the small, dark figure of Grima Wormtongue rose up behind him and stabbed Saruman twice in the back. The twang of bowstrings resonated in the air, and Wormtongue fell back, two arrows protruding from his chest.
Saruman's body fell forward, tumbling down, down, down though the air until it reached the base of the tower, impaling itself on the spike of a waterwheel. Many cringed and drew back in horror.
Gandalf turned around to face the company. "Send word to all our allies and to every corner of Middle-Earth that still stands free," he ordered. "The enemy moves against us. We need to know where he will strike."
With a great lurch, the water wheel before them began to turn, and Saruman's limp body soon disappeared beneath the water. Treebeard regarded the wheel for a moment before turning back to face the riders.
"The filth of Saruman is washing away," the Ent stated. "Trees will come back to live here. Young trees. Wild trees."
Kayden then noticed Pippin standing in the water, grasping the smooth stone ball Saruman had held at the top of Orthanc tower. "Pippin!" she called.
"Bless my bark!" Treebeard gasped
"Peregrin Took!" Gandalf cried, riding forward. "I'll take that my lad. Quickly now!" Pippin gently handed the palantír to Gandalf, who quickly wrapped the stone in the folds of his robes. Robin noticed that Pippin stared after it wistfully before scrambling back onto Brego.
~o*o*o*o~
Treebeard and the Ents bade the group farewell as the riders departed for Edoras. Soon, night had fallen, and the small company was forced to make camp for the night.
The three girls all gathered together, happy to be reunited. Finally, after a good deal of idle chatter, Robin remarked, "So what happened to you two?"
"Well, what would you like to know?" Kayden inquired, smiling.
"For one, Peyton, when did you get this?" the hobbit asked, gesturing to the thin white line on Peyton's cheek.
"Amon Hen," Peyton answered bluntly. "Orc arrow. Anything else?" "Nothing specific," Robin replied. "Just tell me what you did. Merry, Pippin, and I didn't really do much. We just got carried around by Treebeard a lot, listened to Ents take absolutely forever to make a decision, and then bash some orcs on the head with some rocks and drown all the rest."
Peyton chuckled. "To tell you the truth, nothing extremely exciting happened to us for a while. Well, Kayden did fall off the cliff…"
"YOU WHAT?" Robin exclaimed, whirling around to face her friend.
Kayden smiled sheepishly and stared at the ground. "I got dragged off of a cliff during an ambush," she mumbled.
"But…but…" Robin stuttered in shock. "How in the world did you survive?"
"Trust me, I still don't know," Kayden replied, before quickly changing the subject. "So anyways, after that unfortunate incident, I arrived at Helm's Deep, having seen a massive army of Uruk-Hai heading our way. The Uruk-Hai attacked that night. It was absolute chaos. The Uruks exploded the outer wall-"
"Wait, the wall BLEW UP!" Robin shouted. "But…but…oh, never mind."
"If Gandalf had not arrived with reinforcements, we would not have been victorious," Aragorn added, coming over to sit by them.
"Wow," Robin muttered, trying to process what her friends had gone through and the fact that they nearly died twice. "Just…wow."
Robin: I still can't believe you fell off a CLIFF!
Peyton: Believe me, I couldn't believe it either.
Kayden: Look, I'm still here, and I'm alive, so would you please stop talking about it? It's not like it was incredibly fun or anything…
Robin: Well, what was it like?
Kayden: Like being run over by a herd of cattle. Not. Fun. At. All.
Peyton: Okay, I think we get your point. Let's change the subject.
Robin: Alright, then, Maethorelen doesn't own anything but us!
Kayden: Yep. Oh, and please review!
Robin: So what happened to your arm?
Kayden: I don't want to talk about it…